Catfish Festival To Be Tasty Treat Crescent City Rotary To Serve Food, Fun, Floats, Music And Art Saturday

March 31, 1988|By Charlene Hager of The Sentinel Staff

CRESCENT CITY — Lips will smack, chins will drip and belts may need to be loosened a notch or two at Saturday's 10th annual St. Johns River Catfish Festival.

The full day of food, music, contests and parades will begin at 8 a.m. at Eva Lyon Park, about 30 miles north of DeLand on U.S. Highway 17.

Sponsored by the Crescent City Rotary Club, the festival, which usually draws about 35,000, is held in a town of less than 2,000 residents.

Patrick Codd, president of the Rotary Club and festival chairman, said residents are tired of playing second fiddle to other catfish festivals throughout the country.

''We're ready to defend our honor,'' he said of the event that has grown from a salute to area fisherman into a day of fun and food for people from across North and Central Florida.

A yearly feature is the Southeastern Catfish Skinning Championship. This year, as in the previous six, champion Johnny White will defend his title.

The 28-year-old Okeechobee resident skinned more than 75 blue channel catfish in less than 15 minutes at the past six festivals. He will be challenged by about a dozen others at Saturday's contest.

Nancy Jones, five-time winner in the women's division, also will be on hand to take on all challengers. Winners in both divisions will receive cash prizes and trophies.

Even though catfish will be the main course (this year more than three tons) festivalgoers also may indulge in corn on the cob, cole slaw, hush puppies, hamburgers, hot dogs, steamed blue crabs and catfish chowder. They also will find more exotic Florida foods like swamp cabbage, alligator tail, frog legs and smoked mullet.

Those with room left in their stomachs can fill the void with shortcake, whipped cream and fresh Florida strawberries.

While deciding what food to try next, the crowd will hear bluegrass music by Floridians Bertie Higgins, Big Timber Bluegrass and the Wilkinson Brothers. The Catfish Run will take an estimated 600 athletes on a 3.1-mile run on the tree-lined streets of Crescent City and along the shores of Lake Crescent. Also featured will be the works of more than 150 artists from throughout Florida, who will show off their wares in an juried show. The King Catfish Parade will have helium-filled balloons, floats, clowns and high school marching bands.

The festival will run to 5 p.m., with food served beginning at 9 a.m. Catfish dinners are $5 per person. Other foods will be available a la carte.